9
“We only kill bad guys!” Legend shouted as he chased after Karolena. It sounded absurd, even though it was true. He didn’t blame her for running away from them—from him.
He slapped the leather back of Tavish’s chair hard as he rushed past. The guy had issues, they all knew it. Especially when it came to trusting a lover. Legend figured it was the reason they’d ended up together. Tavish could have no doubts about Legend’s loyalty since they’d saved each other’s asses so many times throughout the years.
Because he loved the idiot, he’d dealt with Tavish’s hang-ups and considered himself lucky to be with the guy, even if he was only a consolation prize to the other man.
Tavish could have eased Karolena into things if he’d used a damn molecule of tact. Instead, he’d relied on the shock value of blurting out a crass description of their profession to wedge some distance between them and her. Simply because they’d shared something beyond simple attraction. They’d fucked plenty of women together for him to be certain that what they’d done earlier was more than getting off. Of course, Tavish had responded by going chickenshit.
Karolena didn’t deserve the fallout from Tavish’s inability to trust a woman who turned him on.
Especially when she was already doing her best to separate herself from a man who operated outside the rules of polite society and had wielded that power to abuse her for her entire adult life…and then some.
Really, though, was there any good way to admit what they were? The things they did for money weren’t so different from what Vladimir did. At least in the eyes of some.
Legend didn’t regret taking down a single one of their targets. Doing so had saved lives and ended the suffering of so many more. Neither was he about to let Karolena fling herself into the path of whoever would be coming to find her.
That didn’t mean he was an insensitive asshole.
By the time she’d reached the front doors, they were covered over by the blast-proof shutters. No amount of her pounding on them was going to budge either the glass or the slab of steel beyond it.
“Hey, Karolena.” Legend slowed so that he wasn’t charging at her while she was trapped. He spoke softly and held his hands out to his sides so she could see he wasn’t trying to lunge for her either. “Give us a chance to explain.”
She rounded on him, her platinum hair flaring out behind her. Her cheeks flushed even darker than when she’d ridden him so well upstairs. “I don’t seem to have a choice! I never do.”
Ah shit.They’d done to her exactly what Vladimir had—locked her in, made her their prisoner—even if it was for her own good. He held his hand out to her, waiting for her to accept it. “I won’t apologize for keeping you from harm, but I will ask Ruby to open the doors if you’ll agree to hear us out. Take a few minutes to digest everything, calm down a bit, and let’s see how we can work together. You need a concrete plan before you move, no matter what direction you go.”
Karolena slapped his hand away. “I’d much rather be on my own. Let me out and I’ll disappear again.”
“You really believe he won’t find you?” Legend shook his head. “I’m sorry to say I know guys like him. Losing you, especially if it looks like you chose to leave him, is a blow to his ego and to his reputation. He has to bring you back to show his men and his rivals that he’s in control.”
Karolena’s shoulders slumped at that.
From behind him, in the direction of the conference room doorway, Ruby said softly, “He’s right, you know. I’ll open the doors. But you’d be foolish to walk through them.”
One of Ruby’s boyfriends, Ace, added, “You’ve tried Sweet & Spicy, the restaurant with the attached bakery on the corner, right?”
Karolena blinked as if she couldn’t be bothered with something that insignificant at the moment. But Legend had a sick feeling he knew where the guy was going with his question. Dread knotted his guts.
Disarmed, she nodded. “I got a cup of coffee and a slice of baklava there before my interview.”
Ace hummed. “I love Devra’s desserts. Anyway, I went there this morning so I could bring Ruby and Liam breakfast in bed. They needed some fuel to make sure they could stay there a while with me.”
Legend growled. “Get to the point.”
“Our friends own the place. They mentioned that there were a couple of strangers with Russian accents in there yesterday. Didn’t order anything or so much as take a peep in the pastry case. But asked if they’d seen a tall, thin blonde with bright blue eyes around town.” Ace sighed. “Of course Devra and Morgan remembered you, since you’d been in only a couple hours before that. And last night, they spotted you at our party.”
Karolena whimpered. With her back pressed to the doors, her legs gave out and she began to slide downward.
Legend rushed forward and scooped her up, hugging her to his chest. “We won’t let them have you.”
“Of course our friends played dumb. But…” Ace stepped aside so that Tavish could join them, a sheepish look on his face at least.
Legend and Tavish exchanged a worried glance over Karolena’s head.
“So close. That wastooclose.” She clutched Legend’s shirt so tight her fists trembled. At least she wasn’t shoving him away. It wasn’t any major achievement to be considered a better alternative than the goons of the abusive fuck who’d made her life hell for a decade, but it was a start.
Tavish stroked her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Karolena. Can we bring you back into the command center to figure out what to do next?”